Answer: Mattingly was quoted last night as saying he hasn't even give a thought to which team the Dodgers might play in the NLDS! In other words, he viewed the final 5 games as essentially meaningless. If the Angels fire Scioscia, the Dodgers should replace Mattingly with him. Scioscia is a far better manager who has been victimized by a poor front office. Mattingly is a mediocre manager (who can ever forget his howlers, such as making unintentional return trips to the mound that required the removal of his relief pitcher?) who has been made to look good by a fine front office (Yasiel Puig! Ryu! Hanley Ramirez! Adrian Gonzalez for Loney!) with a seemingly unlimited budget and an excellent pitching coach.

Watching the game last night was infuriating. That was an eminently winnable game. The Dodgers would likely have prevailed (and reduced the likelihood that they will have to play St. Louis in the NLDS) but when they had Zito on the ropes up came Mattingly's inexplicable 4-7 lineup of stiffs: the aged Michael Young at cleanup (warning track power at best, though a useful pinch-hitter)), the badly slumping A.J. Ellis fifth, the barely-above-the-Mendoza Line Jerry Hairston, and then Skip Schumaker (batting after Ellis and Hairston??!). Were it not for the Giants letting in two runs on errors, the Dodgers would have gotten zero run production from this B-Team, despite the top three Dodger hitters pounding Zito. If Mattingly was going to pinch-hit Gonzalez and Ramirez, why not start them? Gonzalez hits lefthanded pitching extremely well. If Mattingly wanted to rest his regulars, why not tonight, with Volquez pitching against Lincicum (who is still tough on the Dodgers)?